Regardless of your political beliefs nary a fellow could argue that President Obama penned what could be considered the seven most critical words spoken during his inaugural address.

Why those seven words? For me, those seven words are the key to economic reform in this country. They are the key to political reform in this country. But more critical than any other they are the key to education reform in this country.

We, and by we I mean any administrator, faculty member or student committed to 21st Century Learning, should rally around those seven words. We should use them in our schools. We should use them in our conversations with our Heads and principals, our faculty and students, our parents and boards.

Those seven words are the quintessential point, the one true arrow aimed at the heart of reform. For me, they hold the key to this country’s education system achieving its goal of strengthening the system….one public school at a time; one private school at a time; one university at a time.

In the weeks and months ahead I am certain that President Obama’s inaugural address will be reviewed, dissected, and analyzed. However, as the days from inauguration to Presidency are defined let us not forget what we can accomplish in our lives and schools “when imagination is joined to common purpose.”